Cell Phone..............?

Submitted by clarbr03 t3_ysak58 in BuyItForLife

I'm sure it's been discussed before but I'm in search of a cell phone. I am currently rocking a pixel 1 that I've really enjoyed. It has good battery life and a high quality camera. Honestly, those are the only two features I care about. Everything else is just a bonus feature. I've replaced the battery but now there seems to be some issues with the touch screen and you can tell it is entering it's planned obsolescense phase. Things are clunkier and slower as new updates come out etc.

So.... Sticking in the Android genre... Any high quality cell phone options out there? Can you get ten years out of a device anymore? Can you get 5? Any insight from this group is always very appreciated!

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Sapphos_smalldog t1_ivy2472 wrote

I have always had remarkable luck with the pixels. I am rough on my phones and my 4a has survived a number of beatings. My pixel 2 only finally died when it got stepped on by a horse on a concrete floor. Never had a particularly good case on them either.

Honestly you can't have a 10 year phone anymore because they stop supporting updates. 5 years is a good run in my opinion.

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ogonga t1_ivy4g75 wrote

Anything with software has vulnerabilities and limitations. My previous phone lasted 5 years before I decided to switch, and my current one is 3 years old. Get something without a touch screen if you want a phone that'll last long, and get a device that doesn't need mobile data for entertainment, like a tablet.

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daddylonglegs1993 t1_ivy812x wrote

Went from pixel 2 to 4a5g when the screen broke and there was a deal on the 4a 5g. Still have the 2 as a backup, I just was able to get a new phone for not much more than a screen swap.

Battery life has been better, still really like the pixel line. Goal is to continue skipping a generation or two, and lasting as long as software updates are supported. Although they're offering me a free 6a if I trade in on Black Friday so I might take that and upgrade early.

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invisible_pear t1_ivy8uak wrote

You already have a pixel so this won't be a shocking suggestion, but I've had a Pixel 3 since it came out (2019ish?) And with a screen protector/thin case, I've never had any issues with the cracks or scratches, the battery is still really good and I love the camera. Works just as well as when I got it. I don't think a smart phone can actually be bifl but pixels are as close as you can get in my experience

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gaurddog t1_ivy9hmc wrote

There's only one answer for this and it's Kyocera.

Their whole schtick is just "Indestructible Phone". They're not the prettiest, certainly not the lightest, and they're usually about two years behind in specs. But I dropped my brigadier from four stories onto a concrete floor in nothing but a rubber shell casing and it didn't crack, scratch, or turn off.

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garrygirgich t1_ivycec0 wrote

It depends if we’re just approaching this from a “physically functioning” standpoint, or from a “software/support” standpoint as well.

Personally, as soon as a phone no longer supports security updates, I get a new one. Pixels offer 5 years of security patches now, and I believe the latest Samsungs are doing the same. iPhones are well known to offer 5+ years too.

So personally I’d go with one of the latest Google, Samsung or Apple phones.

I know a lot of people don’t seem to care about how long their phone gets security updates for, so if you don’t either then just ignore everything I said :)

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DarkYendor t1_ivycqn9 wrote

My Dad has been using the iPhone 6S I bought in 2015. It was running the latest version of iOS up until a month or two ago. Still works, just can’t update to iOS16. 7 years from a phone is pretty good.

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invisible_pear t1_ivydxyy wrote

Replying to garrygirgich (#501,479)

Are the newer ones not as good? My partner is considering upgrading as he slightly broke the charging port in his (constantly using broken chargers and wiggly them to make it work 🤦‍♀️) but I want to keep mine for at least a bit longer. I've never had a smartphone for 5 years and it's a goal of mine lol. It'd be a shame if an upgrade has a less impressive camera.

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blergems t1_ivyfvlo wrote

Unfortunately, phones aren't bifl because *batteries* aren't bifl.

Separately, for some people (myself included), sunsetting security updates after 3 years limits their practical lifetime.

Having said that, my Pixels have always lasted until the security update window ran out. Spend some decent money ($30ish) on a good case protector that will save you from damage if you drop it.

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xPofsx t1_ivykg9c wrote

Lot of good posts on battery and vulnerability in software, but usability and longevity I've enjoyed my oneplus 6t and now oneplus 9 a lot more than ive enjoyed my Samsung's.

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hallucinating_3 t1_ivyot0r wrote

Maybe you can try with Fairphone. I don't know much besides what it says in the official web and the few reviews it has but the good thing is that it's 100% repairable and you can do it yourself by purchasing that part you need in their official store. I heard the camera's aren't great but you can see some examples of photos and videos people made with it.

Fairphone

Camera photos

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thiswilldefend t1_ivys9dv wrote

i would say the max is 5 technology is changing to fast for you to have a cellphone for 10 years..

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ssl-3 t1_ivywciw wrote

I still have a OG Motorola Droid.

It still "works".*

The last thing I used it for was as a clock, in its desktop dock. I thought it was cool.

Some time in the past 7 years, the clock app became unusable.

*: So actually, no. It doesn't "work." It had one job and it can't even do that anymore.

It was a really neat device 13 years ago when it was new, though.

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Py687 t1_ivz95r4 wrote

For the most part phones don't have planned obsolescence, but rather technological obsolescence. Obviously there are cases like Apple deliberately slowing down old devices beyond the limitations of their hardware. But the Pixel 1 is what... 6 years old at this point? There are loads of reasons why your device feels more sluggish.

Hardware can fail or degrade over time, especially on something as delicate as a smartphone. Phones also use flash memory storage, which run better the less storage you use. (The same principle holds for SSDs used in desktop computers.) And you've probably had software updates or downloaded apps that recommend higher specs.

You can easily get five years out of any phone these days. I could've gone another two years on my Galaxy S10 if AT&T didn't have that ludicrous $800 trade-in offer earlier this year.

What I'd suggest is you backup any important files, and attempt a factory reset to see if your phone's performance improves. Your phone might have accumulated a lot of baggage over the years.

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kuddlesworth9419 t1_ivzd6f5 wrote

Phones generally aren't BIFL although I have had an IMO Dash for about 10 years or so. The battery is dying but I could pick a new one up for £7 or something. https://www.imomobile.co.uk/product/imo-dash/ It's beaten up pretty bad but the phone works no problem, it's no smart phone though.

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garrygirgich t1_ivzk0os wrote

Replying to invisible_pear (#501,543)

I upgraded from the pixel 3 to the pixel 6, and the selfie camera wasn’t anywhere near as good. That’s when I discovered the pixel 3 front camera was autofocus! The rear cameras were crazy good though.

In the end I returned it because I couldn’t handle how frustrating the in screen fingerprint sensor was on the regular pixel 6, and bought an iPhone 13 Pro instead. FaceID is magic, but I wouldn’t rule out going back to a pixel again in the future!

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gaurddog t1_iwahx4w wrote

Replying to Skika (#523,895)

I disagree. Dude says he cares about two features on a phone. My best guess? Camera and phone. If all you care about is the ability to make a call and snap a picture you're not gonna care if your phone has the fastest browser or can use the latest version of Pokemon go.

And I think when you're talking about a phone again that phone part is the most important one. How long before it bricks. is it gonna brick if you drop it? In a pool? Off a ladder? Run it through the washer?

The Kyocera will do it. An iphone or galaxy won't.

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Skika t1_iwajhat wrote

Replying to gaurddog (#523,957)

I hear ya. For what it’s worth, I switch back and forth between iPhone and android. Both are great. Personal preference, I think. Anyway. My last iPhone had a super beefy case and took a 40’+ fall down a granite hiking trail. Before that phone, I had a Samsung with a beefy case that took a 10 minute dip in a glacial lake and later fell off a big lift onto flat concrete, maybe 30’? Totally fine. I guess it’s just like, I think you can get away with more than just “tough” phones. And I’ve self repaired many phones on my own with parts from iFixit.com.

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CCatMan t1_iwjou5u wrote

Since you're on the pixel 1 are you also using a side loaded os?

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Fredd_D t1_ixuu3wt wrote

You could get a Galaxy Xcover phone. Even the latest models have a headphone jack, replaceable battery and SD card support, unlike my Galaxy S21 FE. The drawback is that they are a bit thicker and don't have the best specs. But that's still more than enough for general use.

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